


Comics for Christmas

by ReginaPendragon



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 03:25:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8873920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReginaPendragon/pseuds/ReginaPendragon
Summary: Romance is the last thing on the mind of single mother Regina Mills until she stumbles into a comic book shop in late December and meets a man who helps her find the perfect last-minute Christmas gift for her son. One shot Outlaw Queen/Regal Believer/Dimples Brigade. Pure fluff. Merry Christmas!





	

If there was one thing Regina Mills prided herself on, it was her stellar organizational skills. As a single working mother always running here and there between work, her son’s school and his after school activities, her schedule was like her own personal Bible: everything was planned to the last detail to ensure that her life and the life of her precious little boy would always run smoothly. She was so organized she could write a book on the topic or give seminars to hapless friends and family who didn’t have a clue. Christmastime was no exception: her son Henry had his Christmas list finished by the first week of November and Regina had his presents bought, wrapped and hidden away by December 1st without going a single penny over budget. So when Henry came home with stars in his eyes one afternoon after studying with a friend, Regina was fully prepared to put her foot down.

“I don’t know, Henry. I spoke to Santa just this morning and he already thinks your Christmas list is long enough,” she chided him gently. 

“Ugh mom.” Henry sighed dramatically and flopped down onto the sofa in their immaculate living room. He was just entering those troublesome teen years and already Regina could see her own teenage tendencies toward sarcasm and sullenness coming through. There was so much of her in him she didn’t know whether to be proud or to be alarmed by how much she’d rubbed off on him. “You know I’m too old to believe in Santa Claus,” he reminded her.

Regina sighed. He was growing up too fast. Only a few short years ago he’d begged for toys and stuffed animals at Christmas. But now her son’s tastes were changing almost as fast as he was growing out of his clothes and shoes. Even now, with his legs dangling over the side of the couch, she could see an extra inch of striped socks peeking out. Gone were the days when a cute stuffed animal or a new picture book would do the job. Now he wanted gadgets and video games. Her baby wasn’t a baby anymore. He was becoming his own man and she couldn’t be more proud, even if it made her yearn to keep him young forever. “Tell me more about this comic book,” she indulged him.

Every time Henry’s face lit up he looked like a little boy again. He sat up straight, eager to spill his story. “It’s called Ms. Marvel. She’s so cool! She has morphing powers so she can change the size and shape of her body to fight the bad guys. But she’s just a teenager – like me!”

Henry love for comics wasn’t new. He’d grown up reading them and watching Marvel movies on the big screen, but usually he preferred Captain America and Iron-Man. In short: male heroes. Regina supposed it was because he’d grown up with just her and no father – he was as well-adjusted as any adopted child could hope to be. And he had his heroes to fill in the blanks so she hadn’t given it much thought.

“She does sound pretty cool,” Regina agreed. “What got you onto her? She’s not in any of the movies, is she?”

Henry shook his head. “No, she’s too new. But Violet told me about her.”

Of course. This newfound interest in girls was just another sign that her boy was growing up. “Violet, huh?” She regarded him shrewdly and sure enough he turned bright red. She’d had a faint hope that this newfound interest in female superheroes had something to do with her being such a super mom, but no. This was about impressing a girl. But maybe if he read a girl’s story, her boy would learn something. But first there was the matter of this Violet girl. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Violet lately…” Regina looked up expectantly, leaving the sentence unfinished, inviting Henry to say more. 

“We’re just friends!” Henry was quick to say. 

For now, his mother thought. But she knew the signs. The flushed face, the inability to make eye contact, the goofy smile… the poor boy was already head over heels for this girl. And who was she to discourage him? It was kind of sweet, her son having his first big crush. She’d taught him to be respectful and kind to girls, so what was the harm in encouraging him? “I’ll put in a good word with the big man in red,” Regina promised. “If we’re lucky, he just might be able to make a last minute update to your Christmas list.”

“Thanks mom!” Henry leaped up and gave her a hug. At least he wasn’t too old for hugs yet.

No, she would not let her child down. Schedule and budget be damned, her son would have the merriest Christmas of his young life, even if it meant she had to venture into a place that was completely out of her depth: the local comic book store.

Regina had been to the little shop downtown a few times, but she’d never gone inside without her son. Regina didn’t believe in censoring what her son read as long as it didn’t bear an M rating. She trusted Henry’s judgement enough to let him pick his own books. If he ever came across something he didn’t like, the book got put aside. If he ever came across something he didn’t understand, he asked his mom. She’d raised him well, of that Regina was certain.

The shop was busy today. Its cramped aisles were taken up by all sorts of people: regulars looking for the latest edition of their favourite ongoing series, casual shoppers looking for something new and harried parents shopping for their kids. Usually Regina waited by the doorway for Henry to grab what he needed, but today she was on her own in the alien territory of the crowded stacks. 

Now, where was she supposed to find this book? She frowned at the rows and rows of thin glossy issues and thicker volumes. Oh no. Were they alphabetized by author or by title? She had no idea who the author was. Why hadn’t she thought to ask? Panic sparked in her brain as she reached an uncertain hand toward the display. Oh wait. This one said Captain Marvel, not Ms. Marvel. What was the difference? What if she couldn’t find the right one? Henry would be so disappointed… 

Focus, she scolded herself. Check for the title first. Then ask someone for help if you can’t find it. Easy as pie. She smiled to herself. Regina Mills also knew how to bake a damn good pie. Finding one lousy comic book should be a walk in the park compared to the fiddly task making the perfect pie crust.

“Ms. Marvel…” she murmured to herself as she scanned the shelves, searching for the M’s. “Where are you?” Her French manicured fingertips shifted through every title in the M section, skipping over Mockingbird, Moon Girl and Mighty Thor to no avail.

Ms. Marvel wasn’t there. 

“Damn it!” she swore under her breath. Of course the one comic she wanted was the one that was sold out. Now what? Christmas was a week away. Even if she special ordered it, it might not arrive on time… 

A shadow fell across the display. “Can I help you with something, ma’am?” A warm male voice cut into her frazzled thoughts. 

Regina shook her hair out of her eyes and looked up to see a handsome man of about her age looking at her expectantly. He had keen blue eyes and an easy smile – not the sort of geek she’d expected to see in a place like this. But then again, looks could be deceiving. “I’m looking for a last minute Christmas gift for my son,” she explained, gesturing to the stacks. “He came home from his study group the other day and started talking my ear off about Ms. Marvel, so… here I am.” 

The man chuckled knowingly and she couldn’t help noticing he had a pleasant laugh. Focus, she reminded herself. You’re here for Henry’s comic, not to admire the scenery. Even if he was the best looking comic nerd she’d ever seen. “Ah yes, I’ve heard on that one,” the man said with a nod of his head. “It’s been a very popular seller with girls and boys. If I may ask, how old is your son?”

“Just turned 13.”

The man nodded. “It should be age-appropriate then if that’s a concern for you.”

Well, that was a relief. A shadier employee would have sold her any old thing to get her out the door and get his commission. “Right now the only thing I’m concerned about is finding a copy,” she said. “I didn’t see any in the racks.”

“Ah.” The man’s friendly smile faltered for the first time and he reached past her to check. “Oh dear. I didn’t realize we’d sold the last one.” He looked pained, raking a hand through his hair and frowning deeply. 

Regina appreciated the concern. “If I ordered a new copy would it get here in time?” she inquired. 

The man grimaced. “You’d be cutting it awfully close…” He took another quick look at the shelf and suddenly his eyes lit up. “You know, I think we might have one last copy in the back,” he recalled, smile returning. “Hold tight. I’ll run and fetch it for you.” He gave her a courteous nod and retreated to the stock room. Thank God. Henry would have a merry Christmas after all. And for the time being she could watch the cute comic book guy walk away – it hadn’t escaped her notice that his t-shirt fit his broad shoulders very well. And why shouldn’t she notice? She deserved a little Christmas bonus of her own.

While she waited for cute comics guy to return, Regina drifted around the shop, letting her eyes flit from one display to the next. In addition to comic books, the shop also carried a wide array of action figures, games and collectibles. A Captain America action figure caught her eye and she couldn’t resist picking one up. Maybe one more secret gift will add to the Christmas cheer if I can’t get my hands on Ms. Marvel, she thought. Too bad there’s not an action figure of her.

“I see you found another friend?” Cute comics guy was back. He saw the Cap figure in her arms and smiled. 

“Cap is my son’s favourite,” Regina told him. “He used to have a Cap figure but he lent it out to a friend and it came back broken.”

“Ah.” The man nodded knowingly. “Boys can be tough on their things. My young one’s broken more toys than I can count. Then again, he’s only five – much younger than your boy.”

He had a son too. Of course he did. Someone this cute couldn’t possibly be single. “It seems like only yesterday Henry was that young,” she said, letting a tinge of melancholy coat her words. 

“Henry?” the man repeated thoughtfully. “That name sounds familiar. He comes in here sometimes, right? Tall kid with the striped scarf?”

Regina nodded. “That’s the one.”

“I’ve seen him. He’s a very polite young man.”

“Thank you,” she responded. “I did my best.” The unexpected praise buoyed her. It was gratifying to know she’d done a good job raising her son. “So, did you find it?”

Her new friend pulled a comic volume out from behind his back with a flourish. “Here she is: Ms. Marvel herself.”

“Thank God!” Regina let out a sigh of relief. “Henry will be so happy.”

The man looked relieved too. A dimpled smile decorated his face and she couldn’t help thinking it was a rather nice face. “Is there anything else you need or are we good to go?”

She shook her head. “We’re good to go.”

“Brilliant! I’ll ring you up over here.”

Regina followed her benefactor to the cash register at the front of the store. He slipped behind the desk, artfully nudging a co-worker aside to get to the computer. He set the book down and Regina leaned forward to get a better look. The girl on the front cover had dark hair and brown skin – not the typical lily-white heroine she’d expected. She felt another surge of pride. Henry may be doing this to impress a girl, but if he can learn more about other cultures in the process, then I should do everything I can to encourage him. The only thing marring the cover was a neon post-it with “Reserved for Robin” scrawled on it in very messy handwriting.

Cute comics guy saw her frowning at the sticker and hastily reached in to peel it off. “Sorry about that,” he apologized, tossing the offending piece of paper in the wastepaper basket behind the counter. “I should have taken that off while I was in the back but I didn’t want to make you wait.”

“Did Robin change his mind?” she wondered. I hope this guy isn’t trying to sell me someone else’s comic. She faltered for a moment, wondering if she’d been wrong about him. What kind of business were they running here, anyway?

The man blushed guiltily, sensing her reluctance. “Not exactly. You see… I’m Robin.”

Regina gaped at him. “You’re Robin? But then… why are you letting me have your book?” She was truly bewildered. 

Robin looked embarrassed. “It’s not my book, per se. Every December myself and the other guys in the shop put aside a few titles to take home for the holidays. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this one.” He patted the cover wistfully. “But your needs are greater than mine at the moment. I can always order myself another one. I’d hate to see a young boy sad on Christmas morning, especially one as nice as your Henry.”

Regina didn’t know what to say in the face of such generosity. She murmured her thanks and let Robin ring up the comic book and the action figure. On a last minute inspiration, she asked for a giftcard too. “In case there’s something else he wants after the holidays,” she said as she popped her credit card in the machine. “He was a reluctant reader before we found comics. Now he reads everything.” She was babbling now. Why the sudden urge to spill her guts to this stranger? She couldn’t put her finger on it.

Robin smiled, showing off those dimples again. Oh. Perhaps that was why. “My little one is just learning to read. I hope someday he picks up his dad’s love for comics.” He wrapped up her purchases and handed the bag to her. “Here you are.”

“Thank you for all your help,” she said in response with a smile of her own. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Anytime.” He gave her a little nod, almost like a bow. “Say hi to your boy for me.”

“Will do.”

****

Robin Locksley was late for work.

It wasn’t entirely his fault. After agreeing to switch shifts with Will, he picked up the extra task of being the one to open up the shop for the day as well. And what a day it was: early January, freezing cold and snowing to beat the band. That much he didn’t mind. He had his car cleaned off and warming up, just as he usually would. Traffic would be slower, but he’d still get to the shop on time. And it was unlikely anyone would be there right at opening time anyway. It wasn’t a new release day, or else he’d be more worried.

So when his ex-wife Marian’s car pulled up in the driveway, Robin wasn’t concerned at first. Roland must have left a special toy behind, he supposed, something his son couldn’t bear to be without. “To what do I owe this honour?” he inquired when Marian rolled down the window. He was determined to be cordial: he’d even made it his New Year’s resolution. 

Marian looked guilty – never a good sign. “I need you to take Roland a day early.”

“I have to work today.” He smiled, determined to be polite. But this was just like Marian to spring something like this on him at the last minute without calling. There was no use arguing: they were too different, he and Marian. Theirs had been a romance of opposites attracting: exciting and alluring in the short term, but unsustainable in the long run. “I’ll just have to take him to work with me.”

Marian frowned. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

“The shop won’t be too busy today,” Robin assured her. “I can set him up in the corner with a few toys.”

Marian relented and a few minutes later Roland was strapped into the carseat in the back of Robin’s car. The sight of his boy, all rosy-cheeked from the cold and happy to see his dad again, was all Robin needed to let his brief annoyance with his ex-wife melt away. They were both trying their best. It was all either of them could do.

The drive downtown was slow going. Between the heavy dumping of snow from the heavens and the slick pavement, Robin’s car crawled at a snail’s pace to its familiar home in the comic book store parking lot. Wrangling Roland out of the carseat was much trickier while they were being snowed on. “It’s cold!” Little Roland complained, wriggling in his father’s arms. “I wanna go inside!”

Me too, Robin thought as he hefted his son more securely into his arms and locked the car. Through the haze of snowflakes he could see a pair of people making their way away from the shop and back to the parking lot. Damn it! He’d missed his first customers of the day after all.

“Hello there!” he called out, rushing to meet them. “Are you coming into the shop?”

“So you are open!” a familiar female voice said. “I was beginning to think you’d closed down.”

He could see her now that she was closer – it was Henry’s mother, the lovely dark-haired woman who’d come into the shop just before Christmas. Henry was with her today, chomping at the bit to get inside.

“I’m so sorry,” Robin apologized as he unlocked the shop and ushered them inside. “I had to switch shifts with a co-worker and then Roland’s mum dropped him off unexpectedly.” He set his son down and switched on the lights. “There we go. Once again, I’m terribly sorry. This is no way to run a business.”

The woman waved off his apology. “I get it. It’s hard to manage on your own when you’ve got a little one.” She knelt down and offered Roland a smile. “Hi there. It’s Roland, right? I’m Regina.”

“Hi,” Roland echoed. “Do you know my daddy?”

“A little bit.” Regina glanced up at Robin, who nodded encouragingly. “He helped me find a Christmas present for my son a few weeks ago.” 

“Regina,” Robin echoed, savouring the sound of it. “You know I don’t think I caught your name last time you were in. It’s nice to meet you properly.”

Her ruby painted lips parted into a smile as she stood up again. “It’s nice to meet you properly too. And your son.” 

“And yours as well.” Robin nodded in Henry’s direction. “Is there anything we can help you find today?”

“I wouldn’t mind finding a hot cup of coffee,” Regina murmured, “but I think we’ll settle for a few more comics.”

“I need the next volume of Ms. Marvel!” Henry blurted out. “I have to know what happens next.”

Robin still hadn’t read it. A new batch of comics had come in last week to replenish the Christmas supply and they’d been selling like hotcakes. But he knew there was still a copy of volume two in the racks. “Right this way,” he said, gesturing them forward. “She’s right over here.”

The two adults hung back while Henry dashed into the stacks. Robin got Roland situated behind the counter with a few toys and Regina wandered back over while Henry was browsing. “I really was worried the shop had closed up,” she admitted. “I was prepared to send someone an angry email for selling gift cards and not being able to honour them.”

“Heaven forbid.” What must she have thought in those minutes he’d been late? He’d already disappointed the most important woman in his life today. This was no way to start a new year.

Regina glanced down at Roland and her expression softened. “He seems happy,” she noted, smiling wistfully as Roland crashed two action figures together, no doubt thinking of her own child’s lost youth. “There’s something I’ve been wondering ever since Christmas.”

“Oh?” He caught her eye, finding himself unable to look away from her dark gaze. 

“I’ve been wondering if you gave up that comic out of the goodness of your heart or if you were trying to impress a poor single mom.” She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to figure him out. “Forget it. I don’t know why I said that…”

“Regina.” He spoke her name and the air went still. “Would I be a terrible cad if it was a bit of both?”

She laughed pleasantly and the tension broke. “At least you’re a self-aware cad. That’s a step in the right direction.” She took a look over her shoulder to see if Henry was still occupied before continuing. “I almost didn’t come back here after I embarrassed myself over my lack of geek cred the last time. But I’m glad I did.” 

Robin was rather glad too. It wasn’t every day a woman this beautiful strolled into his shop. “Well, you’re welcome here any time you like,” he assured her. “And as for that lack of geek cred… perhaps I could suggest a few titles you might like to read for yourself. If you’re interested.” Please be interested, he added silently. He had to make up for his tardiness somehow.

“That would be nice,” she said, showing off that smile again. Robin’s heart stuttered in his chest. It had been a long time – too long – since a pretty smile like hers had caught him off guard. Well, this is one way to accomplish a New Year’s resolution to be more cordial. But he couldn’t do it today – not when he was meant to be keeping an eye on Roland. “I’ll have to come back some time and take you up on that offer.” Henry materialized by his mother’s side, comics in hand. Robin checked them out with no trouble but just as the cash register was sliding shut, the lights in the shop went out.

“Oh bother,” he muttered. “The bloody power’s out.”

“Daddy?” Roland piped up. “I’m scared.”

Robin reached down to scoop the boy up again. “Looks like we’re going home early today, my boy. But at least we helped these nice customers out first.” He gave Regina a little bow, making her smile again. 

“Why don’t you let us take you out for lunch,” she suggested. “I’m sure the power’s not out everywhere.”

“Someplace less dark sounds wonderful right about now,” Robin conceded. In that moment, he would have followed her anywhere if it meant he got to witness that pretty smile of hers again. Maybe – just maybe – this chance encounter could lead to something more. A new year, new friends, new comic books… he locked up the shop again and ventured back out into the cold. Happy New Year indeed. He had a feeling it was going to be his best year yet.

**Author's Note:**

> This work also appeared on the Outlaw Queen 2016 Advent Calendar.


End file.
